EX-99.1 2 a53394032ex99_1.htm EXHIBIT 99.1
Exhibit 99.1


INVESTORS TITLE COMPANY ANNOUNCES
FIRST QUARTER 2023 RESULTS

     Contact:  Elizabeth B. Lewter
May 5, 2023
Telephone: (919) 968-2200
        Nasdaq Symbol: ITIC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Chapel Hill, NC – Investors Title Company (Nasdaq: ITIC) today announced results for the quarter ended March 31, 2023.  The Company reported net income of $1.2 million, or $0.62 per diluted share, compared with net income of $6.2 million, or $3.25 per diluted share, for the prior year period.

Revenues decreased 25.6% to $51.3 million, compared to $69.0 million in the prior year period, primarily as a result of decreases of 38.3% in revenues related to our title insurance business.  The reductions in net premiums written and escrow and other title-related fees are attributable to an overall decline in the level of real estate transaction volumes resulting from higher average mortgage interest rates and ongoing housing supply constraints.  The decline in title insurance revenues was partially offset by increases in non-title services, primarily like-kind exchanges, and net realized investment gains.  The sale of appreciated investment securities during the period resulted in a reduction in unrealized gains as they were reclassified to net realized investment gains, which is not indicative of a decline in estimated fair value.

Operating expenses decreased 18.7% compared to the prior year period, mainly due to a $10.5 million decline in commissions to agents commensurate with the decrease in agent premium volume.  The decrease in operating expenses was partially offset by an $892 thousand increase in the provision for claims, which resulted primarily from a lower level of favorable loss development as compared to the prior year period.  Personnel, office, and technology expenses remained relatively consistent with the prior year period, primarily due to growth initiatives and continued expansion of our geographic footprint.

Chairman J. Allen Fine commented, “The title insurance industry continued to experience economic headwinds in the first quarter.  While mortgage rates declined slightly from the prior quarter, the overall higher level continued to negatively impact home sales and commercial real estate activity.  Higher interest rates in the financial markets did help partially offset the decline in real estate activity by providing the ability to increase our investment income.


“Regardless of the recent softness in the real estate market, we are still finding opportunities to enhance our operational capabilities and expand our presence in new and existing markets.  We possess a very strong balance sheet which affords us the strength to continue to make investments in the future, even in market downturns.   As always, we strive to maintain a disciplined financial approach, balancing the need for short-term expense management with long-term investments in our business.”

Investors Title Company’s subsidiaries issue and underwrite title insurance policies.  The Company also provides investment management services and services in connection with tax-deferred exchanges of like-kind property.

 

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained herein constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements may be identified by the use of words such as “plan,” expect,” “aim,” “believe,” “project,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “should,” “could,” “would,” and other expressions that indicate future events and trends.  Such statements include, among others, any statements regarding the Company’s expected performance for this year,  future home price fluctuations, changes in home purchase or refinance demand, activity and the mix thereof, interest rate changes, expansion of the Company’s market presence, enhancing competitive strengths, development in housing affordability, wages, unemployment or overall economic conditions or statements regarding our actuarial assumptions and the application of recent historical claims experience to future periods.  These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated and historical results.  Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation:  the cyclical demand for title insurance due to changes in the residential and commercial real estate markets; the occurrence of fraud, defalcation or misconduct; variances between actual claims experience and underwriting and reserving assumptions, including the limited predictive power of historical claims experience; declines in the performance of the Company’s investments; government regulations; changes in the economy; the potential impact of inflation and responses by government regulators, including the Federal Reserve; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (including any of its variants) on the economy and the Company’s business; loss of agency relationships, or significant reductions in agent-originated business; difficulties managing growth, whether organic or through acquisitions and other considerations set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in subsequent filings.

# # # #


Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
(unaudited)

 
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
 
 
2023
   
2022
 
Revenues:
           
Net premiums written
 
$
38,966
   
$
63,125
 
Escrow and other title-related fees
   
3,125
     
5,064
 
Non-title services
   
5,842
     
2,426
 
Interest and dividends
   
2,074
     
915
 
Other investment income
   
753
     
1,337
 
Net realized investment gains
   
7,233
     
1,747
 
Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments
   
(6,790
)
   
(5,915
)
Other
   
140
     
299
 
Total Revenues
   
51,343
     
68,998
 
                 
Operating Expenses:
               
Commissions to agents
   
19,326
     
29,857
 
Provision for claims
   
1,068
     
176
 
Personnel expenses
   
20,820
     
21,254
 
Office and technology expenses
   
4,400
     
4,368
 
Other expenses
   
4,168
     
5,550
 
Total Operating Expenses
   
49,782
     
61,205
 
                 
Income before Income Taxes
   
1,561
     
7,793
 
                 
Provision for Income Taxes
   
380
     
1,608
 
                 
Net Income
 
$
1,181
   
$
6,185
 
                 
Basic Earnings per Common Share
 
$
0.62
   
$
3.26
 
                 
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Basic
   
1,897
     
1,896
 
                 
Diluted Earnings per Common Share
 
$
0.62
   
$
3.25
 
                 
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Diluted
   
1,897
     
1,903
 


Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

 
 
March 31,
2023
   
December 31,
2022
 
Assets
           
             
Cash and cash equivalents
 
$
29,555
   
$
35,311
 
                 
Investments:
               
Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value
   
52,210
     
53,989
 
Equity securities, at fair value
   
42,800
     
51,691
 
Short-term investments
   
105,662
     
103,649
 
Other investments
   
18,948
     
18,368
 
Total investments
   
219,620
     
227,697
 
                 
Premiums and fees receivable
   
16,827
     
19,047
 
Accrued interest and dividends
   
915
     
872
 
Prepaid expenses and other receivables
   
11,315
     
11,095
 
Property, net
   
19,154
     
17,785
 
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net
   
17,265
     
17,611
 
Lease assets
   
6,671
     
6,707
 
Other assets
   
2,475
     
2,458
 
Current income taxes recoverable
   
     
1,174
 
Total Assets
 
$
323,797
   
$
339,757
 
                 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
               
                 
Liabilities:
               
Reserve for claims
 
$
36,918
   
$
37,192
 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
   
31,216
     
47,050
 
Lease liabilities
   
6,826
     
6,839
 
Current income taxes payable
   
1,148
     
 
Deferred income taxes, net
   
5,851
     
7,665
 
Total liabilities
   
81,959
     
98,746
 
                 
Stockholders’ Equity:
               
Common stock no par value (10,000 authorized shares; 1,898 and 1,897 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, excluding in each period 292 shares of common stock held by the Company's subsidiary)
   
     
 
Retained earnings
   
241,278
     
240,811
 
Accumulated other comprehensive income
   
560
     
200
 
Total stockholders’ equity
   
241,838
     
241,011
 
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
 
$
323,797
   
$
339,757
 


Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries
Direct and Agency Net Premiums Written
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

   
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
   
2023
   
%
   
2022
   
%
 
Direct
 
$
12,714
     
32.6
   
$
22,692
     
35.9
 
                                 
Agency
   
26,252
     
67.4
     
40,433
     
64.1
 
                                 
Total
 
$
38,966
     
100.0
   
$
63,125
     
100.0
 


Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries
Appendix A
Non-GAAP Measures Reconciliation
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

Management uses various financial and operational measurements, including financial information not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), to analyze the Company's performance.  This includes adjusting revenues to remove the impact of changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments, which are recognized in net income under GAAP.  Note that, in periods with significant sales of investment securities, unrealized gains/losses as presented may not necessarily reflect portfolio performance due to reclassifications of unrealized gains/losses to realized gains/losses when such sales are made.  Management believes that these non-GAAP measures are useful to evaluate the Company's internal operational performance from period to period because they eliminate the effects of external market fluctuations.  The Company also believes users of the financial results would benefit from having access to such information, and that certain of the Company’s peers make available similar information.  This information should not be used as a substitute for, or considered superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.

The following tables reconcile non-GAAP financial measurements used by Company management to the comparable measurements using GAAP:
 
   
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
   
2023
   
2022
 
             
Revenues
           
Total revenues (GAAP)
 
$
51,343
   
$
68,998
 
Add:  Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments
   
6,790
     
5,915
 
Adjusted revenues (non-GAAP)
 
$
58,133
   
$
74,913
 
                 
Income before Income Taxes
               
Income before income taxes (GAAP)
 
$
1,561
   
$
7,793
 
Add:  Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments
   
6,790
     
5,915
 
Adjusted income before income taxes (non-GAAP)
 
$
8,351
   
$
13,708